Last night nearly the entire fashion industry attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala, an annual star-studded gathering also known as the Met Ball.

The usual frenzy around the Conde Nast (well, make that Vogue) sponsored affair was heightened this year because of the designer honored at the event. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is the forthcoming Met exhibit that celebrates the work of the late Alexander “Lee” McQueen, one of great designers of our time, who passed late last year at only 40. We hear it was the most well attended Met Ball in many years. With everyone from Gisele to Gwyneth, Kate Hudson to Kate Winslet in attendance, this was the hardest ticket in town to come by.

McQueen’s inner circle, still intact, also came together to highlight the work of this great creator, and to usher in the era of Sarah Burton, the Royal dress designer who is taking over the helm for McQueen. Among his collaborators, followers, and muses, Stella McCartney, Salma Hayek, Daphne Guinness, and Colin Firth came out to pay tribute and celebrate Lee. 

At 11pm, party goers moved on to slip into whatever door they could squeeze into. The official Vogue after party at The Crown, hosted by Stella, Anna, François and Salma, proved an even tougher ticket than the ball itself - if you were late, you weren’t getting in. Even Tom Ford was turned away for lingering too long. The McQueen camp headed downtown to Kenmare, where the legendary Amy Sacco was holding court with Sarah Burton. As expected, everyone came together again for a final pit stop at the one and only Boom Boom Room, where Andre Balazs kept the fashion crowd dancing in their Nicolas Kirkwood’s way past 4AM.

Below are five of our favorite looks from the evening.

1. Michelle Williams in a Miu Miu silk dress with gold sequin bird detail

2. Penelope Cruz arrived with (and wore) Oscar de la Renta

3. Christina Hendricks in a rust colored abstract print by Carolina Herrera

4. Christina Ricca in a Zac Posen lace gown

5. Rihanna in black Stella McCartney (and a braid) 

While pictures are all over the web today, Just Jared and Style.com have both put great galleries of the arrivals together.